New York lawmaker announces war against pooping birds

A New York lawmaker doesn’t like the fact that there are birds flying over him in the sky.

There is a problem with pigeon poop in Queens, New York, and this lawmaker is determined to do something about it.

In response to constituents' complaints about the droppings scattered on the sidewalks and on the train lines, Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer said that he has been hit with poop a "couple of times" himself. He is now spearheading an effort to combat the problem.

"Having to walk through a gauntlet of pigeon droppings to get to and from Manhattan every day is something we do not want," he said.

Van Bramer, who proposed a plan to the Metropolitan Transportation Authority, will use $250,000 in discretionary funds to install "thousands of feet of wire that repel birds," along with "nets, bird spikes and ultrasonic devices" that is designed to scare birds, but is inaudible to human ears.

Deterrents will be installed in three subway stations in Sunnyside and Woodside, which include the 46, 52, and 61 Street stations.

"People get hit regularly, and even if you do not get hit, you have to step over, jump over, and try to avoid pigeon droppings that litter inputs and outputs to these subway stops," he said.

"I've been hit I would say that more than 10 times," Kelly said about Sunnyside.

Van Bramer said he did not want visitors and newcomers to get a bad impression about the city and judge the city on the basis of the poop, which "is not visually pleasing" and "smells bad."

"The entrance to train stop is often a gateway to a neighborhood. People do not want to see be bird poop all over the place the first thing they walk out of a train" he said.

The MTA refused to pay for the experiment, saying it is not responsible for the sidewalks in elevated stations.